Healthy Diets Overview

Eating healthy is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. It is something that should
be taught to children at a young age. The following are some general guidelines for
helping your child eat healthy. It is important to discuss your child's diet with
your child's health care provider before making any dietary changes or placing your
child on a diet:

Eat 3 meals a day, in addition to healthy snacks in-between.

Increase fiber in the diet and decrease the use of salt.

Drink water. Try to avoid drinks and juices that are high in sugar.

Children under the age of 2 need fats in their diet to help with the growth of their
nervous system. Do not put your child on a low-fat diet without talking to your child's
health care provider.

Eat balanced meals.

When cooking for your child, try to bake or broil instead of frying.

Decrease your child's sugar intake.

Eat fruit or vegetables for a snack.

Decrease the use of butter and heavy gravies.

Eat more lean chicken, fish, and beans for protein.

Making healthy food choices

The MyPlate icon is a guideline to help you and your child eat a healthy diet. MyPlate
can help you and your child eat a variety of foods while encouraging the right amount
of calories and fat.

The USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have prepared the following
food plates to guide parents in selecting foods for children 2 years and older.

The MyPlate icon is divided into 5 food group categories, emphasizing the nutritional
intake of the following:

Grains. Foods that are made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain
are grain products. Examples include whole wheat, brown rice, and oatmeal.

Oils are not a food group, yet some, like nut oils, contain essential nutrients and
can be included in the diet. Others, like animal fats, are solid and should be avoided.

Exercise and everyday physical activity should also be included with a healthy dietary
plan.

Nutrition and activity tips

Here are some tips to follow:

Try to control when and where food is eaten by your children. Provide regular daily
meal times with social interaction and demonstration of healthy eating behaviors.

Involve children in the selection and preparation of foods and teach them to make
healthy choices by providing opportunities to select foods based on their nutritional
value.

For children in general, reported dietary intakes of the following are low enough
to be of concern by the USDA: vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.
Select foods with these nutrients when possible.

Most Americans need to reduce the number of calories they consume. When it comes to
weight control, calories do count. Controlling portion sizes and eating nonprocessed foods helps limit calorie
intake and increase nutrients.

Parents are encouraged to provide recommended serving sizes for children.

Parents are encouraged to limit children’s video, television watching, and computer
use to less than 2 hours daily and replace the sedentary activities with activities
that require more movement.

Children and adolescents need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical
activity on most days. This helps to maintain good health and fitness and healthy
weight during growth.

To prevent dehydration, encourage children to drink fluid regularly during physical
activity and drink several glasses of water or other fluid after the physical activity
is completed.

To find more information about the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015–2020 and to determine the appropriate dietary recommendations for your child’s age, sex,
and physical activity level, visit MyPlate.gov and 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines. Please note that the MyPlate plan is designed for people over the age of 2 who do
not have chronic health conditions.